SPEAKOUT

I WOULD JUST like to say I really enjoyed the Amy Grant concert, and I look forward to having her here again.

THIS IS TO the person who called in and said that this is a college town and we need college singers here. Well, I happen to like the family-oriented country shows and heavy metal shows. If you don't like what the Show Me Center has, then just leave and go to another college. Thank you.

I'M NOT IN favor of Magic Johnson getting on any presidential committee for AIDS. The disease has been around for what, 10 years now? All of a sudden it's going to get the notoriety that it should have gotten 10 years ago. It doesn't take an athlete being put on a committee for the president and other people deciding that maybe it's time we do something about a disease that is killing a lot of people and is going to continue killing a lot of people. I'm not against Magic Johnson, but they should have put somebody on this committee or done this years ago. Thank you.

I JUST SAW on TV Sen. Danforth talking about regulating the cable rate. I agree. It should be regulated, but I also think we, the people, ought to be able to regulate his salary. And I don't think he deserves a $28,000 salary increase this year. I think he ought to supply that to the unemployed people in Missouri if he's really as interested as he says. Thank you.

I'M CALLING TO talk about the Brad Harris article about Magic Johnson. I would like to see him fired. Thank you.

I'VE BEEN READING in the Missourian where the university is out of money and going to be worse. Wonder how come the president got a new car this week. If I run out of money, I don't buy a new car. Thank you.

I JUST WANT to commend Brad Harris on the Friday, Nov. 15, column, The Harris Poll. He said he was telling it just like it was, and I think that it would befit every parent and young person to read this column. It is really great. Thank you.

I NEVER READ the sports section of the newspaper, but today, Nov. 15, The Harris Poll by Brad Harris caught my eye and I read the entire article. Magic Johnson is a very poor model for young people. Why does the media always promote as heroes sports people, movie and TV personalities who have been drug addicts or have AIDS? Surely, there are others we can admire.

AFTER READING the sometimes ignorant and idiotic comments of your sports writers this past year concerning some of our high school athletics, I just wanted to commend this one particular sports writer. This morning's article about Magic Johnson hit the nail right on the head. Congratulations, finally.

WE CERTAINLY AGREE with Brad Harris' opinion in Friday's newspaper. Magic Johnson is no hero. People are going to self destroy themselves. Thank you.

I WANT TO comment on the article "Not So Magical" in the Friday, Nov. 15, Missourian, written by Brad Harris. It was a very fine column. Kids, read the article and retain its message. Safe isn't good enough. Just say no. Thank you.

IN FRIDAY'S OPINION section of the Southeast Missourian, there was a political cartoon showing Magic Johnson passing a basketball to the Grim Reaper. In my opinion, this comic was tasteless, gross, and unethical. But I loved it; it's still cracking me up right now.

IT'S A SHAME Duke's policies and programs cannot become national policy. Four more years of Bush's free trade will ruin the country.

I WANT TO comment on David Duke being defeated in Louisiana. Me and my family are real happy about this. See, we've been on welfare. I've been on it three generations and I'm tired of people like Duke calling us bums. These are crazy ideas to cut off the welfare program. We should make it where people can get more on welfare. I don't think the average person minds paying taxes so that me and my family can be on welfare. We have people in Louisiana on welfare, and you can believe that they're happy that Duke has been defeated. I just think this craziness should stop now. Quit calling us folks on welfare all these names. This is discrimination against the welfare receivers of America. Thank you.

THIS IS FOR the person that wrote in about Cape Girardeau's trash pickup being too high. I live in Scott City and I thought I'd give him my figures to compare. We pay $7 a month for two pickups a week and twice a year we get free, bulk pickup. Thank you.

THIS IS A short rebuttal to the writer in last week's Speak Out concerning the state of Kentucky. I very rarely, if ever, respond to rhetoric such as this forum provides. In this case, however, I must reply. I also lived in Kentucky for 30 of my 33 years. Although I cannot speak that knowledgeably of far eastern Kentucky, I can for western and central. I have lived in Cape Girardeau for nearly three years now and have noticed very little difference in the economics of central and western Kentucky to that of Missouri. In fact, if anything, I have seen a slightly higher cost of living in MIssouri due to state taxes. In short, I feel that the complaining Kentucky writer is in the midst of a geographical escape. I also feel that this is the type of individual who is a constant complainer about numerous subjects. To the writer, the glass is half-full, not half empty.

THERE ARE SOME blacks who will make it regardless of who is in the governor's seat, just as there are some whites who will make it no matter who is in control. But by not putting David Duke in office, Louisiana will see more blacks being favored over whites simply because they're black. All of us, both black and white, know that David Duke is right. The reason he lost is because blacks continue to keep the control they have. They stuck together and turned out to vote in unprecedented numbers. Whites should have done as much. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO know why David Duke can't ever go on television without the press referring to him as a former Nazi or ex-Klan member. If David Duke can't be safe from his past, can any of us be reasonably expected to be safe from ours?

THE FIRST THING the local school board should get rid of is the gifted programs. Talk about discrimination; that one discriminates against a lot of students.

THIS IS TO the person who thinks that the person who listed several reasons for the defeat of Proposition B may be an unfit parent. I was referring to other people's kids, who I have had to tutor about where you go to pay your personal property tax, where you go to do certain things, and how to fill out your own income tax forms. This was not my kids I was talking about. If you go out in the street you'll see all the unemployed who can't read. It's very easy to see them. I would suggest you read November's issue of Reader's Digest, "A Tale of Two Schools." Thank you, Speak Out.